By Peter Mannella
Significant federal policy developments are underway that could impact driver testing requirements and clean school bus funding.
What should a motor carrier do to assess a CMV driver’s English language proficiency (ELP) during the driver qualification process? Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy has announced recently that DOT and the FMCSA were enforcing the need for CDL candidates to complete their tests in the English language.
The intent of the department is to ensure safety on our roads and highways. Duffy explained that there had been numerous incidents, including some fatality accidents, where the driver failed to understand signage and caused an accident to occur.
Duffy further explained that the objective was to ensure that drivers could understand English well enough to understand road signs and to communicate with law enforcement officers. To accomplish this, FMCSA is requiring that instruction and testing be completed in English. Several states have allowed for tests to be conducted in languages other than English and DOT is directing that these practices cease.
These measures are related as well to the department’s efforts to more strictly manage “non-domiciled CDL” issuances which have resulted in new regulations on the subject.
NAPT leadership will be meeting with FMCSA Administrator, Derek Barss, later this month and will discuss the implications for school bus drivers with him. Members are encouraged to discuss the testing requirements with your state licensing agencies to ensure that the licensing of your drivers is completed consistently with the new directions.
EPA Calls for Information
The Environmental Protection Agency has taken steps to gather information from the clean school bus community in relation to the future of alternative fuels for America’s school bus fleet.
There is a webinar being held on March 3rd to explain their intentions and the process for offering comments to the EPA. NAPT will monitor this webinar and report back to our members as soon as possible.
Below is the actual announcement from the EPA about the Request for Information (RFI). We encourage you to review it for your familiarity and follow-up.
Note as well: The link to the EPA Federal Register announcement of the RFI can be found here. Also see here, the press release from EPA Administrator Zeldin about this effort.
Dear Clean School Bus Stakeholder,
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is pleased to share an important update related to the Clean School Bus (CSB) Program:
Request for Information (RFI) – Now Open
The EPA is seeking public input to help shape the future of alternative fuels and clean technologies in America’s school bus fleet. This RFI reflects our commitment to grounding federally funded programs in real-world market conditions and technological feasibility and to safeguard taxpayer dollars through effective oversight and compliance assurance.
The public comment period will be open for 45-days following the publication of the RFI in the Federal Register.
To promote transparency and engagement, the EPA will also host a public informational webinar on March 3, 2026, where stakeholders can learn more about the RFI, ask questions, and submit comments.
Webinar details and registration will be available at: www.epa.gov/cleanschoolbus.
The information obtained from the RFI will assist the EPA in designing the 2026 funding opportunity. Please note that the EPA is not moving forward with awards under the 2024 CSB Rebate Program. The EPA thanks applicants for their interest, and entities that previously applied for funding are encouraged to apply again in the upcoming CSB funding opportunity.